


Rooftop - Cinders Snippet

by Fics4you



Series: Embers [5]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Cinders novel, F/M, Fake AH Crew, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-14 11:31:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13006878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fics4you/pseuds/Fics4you
Summary: Talking can be tough, but it's almost impossible when there's a rage building walls to block out emotions for it's own sake.





	Rooftop - Cinders Snippet

**Author's Note:**

> A rooftop addition to the Cinders fanfiction turned novel I'm creating. I've had a fair amount of people ask for more novel content as I work through, and this is one of the many small sections I can share. 
> 
> For those wondering (or who haven't read Cinders, which I recommend):
> 
> Akio: Jeremy  
> Jamie: Ryan  
> Ellie: Reader  
> Rob: Geoff  
> Sam: Ray

“So you and Jamie, huh?”

  
Ellie looks nowhere near as uncomfortable as Akio, his hands wringing in his lap. “Yeah.”

  
“What Robert said,” he struggles, trying to voice the turmoil bouncing inside his skull. “What did he mean by Cheshire being the only one to control Skullface?” 

The world stays quiet, as if holding in the same breath she does. Her body runs cold, nerves seeping from her pores and clinging to her hair line. “He means that we’re the same brand of fucked up.”

  
“I don’t get it, what happened?”

  
A noisy sigh is her first response, like she’s trying to blow away the uncomfortable tension trying to throttle her. Her second attempt is soft, voice so quite that Akio barely catches it. “We can’t talk about it.”

  
The lilac man pulls a face, looking like he wishes he’d never started the conversation. “Why?”

  
“Because we can’t. It’s physically impossible for me to tell you about–” Ellie chokes back the bile, burning anger shaking her fists. A deep breath sees her forcing them away, swallowing her sentence and trying again. “We lost someone important.”

  
Her eyes squeeze shut to concentrate, body stinging as a wall blocks her thoughts, frustration clogging her airways. Akio doesn’t shrink away, instead laying a gentle, patient hand on her shoulder.

  
With a gasp Ellie’s talking, stumbling over her words and trying to manoeuvre through a maze she’s never managed. “The Greece Incident kick started everything. We thought we were angry before, like a part of us existed just to destroy each other.” Ellie laughs, harsh in the delicate night as her tone turns bitter. “We thought it was because we couldn’t handle loving each other; James thought it was something to do with jealousy or some crap. So we gave up romance, but it didn’t work. We figured if we couldn’t live without each other; why not make a positive out of a negative? But then we found her.”

  
She grinds her teeth, hunching over her knees as though she’s in agony, forcing back the anger. Through her locked jaw, she strains.  
“Everything fell into place. No pain, no anger. We retired to Greece, stayed there for just over a year until it all –”

  
She cuts off again, and this time Akio takes her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Another minute of shaky breathing helps her cool, the haze of anger enough to bear for the time being. “Anger brings out a different part of us, a coping mechanism I guess. We can’t think about it, can’t tell people what happened without threatening someone’s life. We can’t even talk to each other.”

  
Her voice is loaded with sorrow, eyes distant as she watches the trees sway. Akio doesn’t know what to say, his tongue heavy and numb in his mouth, as uncomfortable as he is. She sighs for a final time, turning to him. “I knew Sam from before her – he found us separated and destroying ourselves. Plucked me from the street and saved me from the pattern. It was the first time I’d seen Jamie in a year, and both our angers exploded. Skullface charged, and Cheshire went for his throat.”

  
Surprisingly, she laughs as though the time were a fond memory. “Luckily Sam had seen it all before and assured Rob everything would be fine. Threatened to leave the crew if they didn’t take us on; then a week later we’re making our beds and on the road recovery.”

  
Her lips purse thoughtfully, words becoming easier. “Well, we healed as much as our alters would allow. We couldn’t mourn, but we did the best we could. We could be in the same room again, even saying hello. Eventually, after a few murderous attempts on each other’s life, we got a handle on ourselves. Only intense emotion would bring out the Cheshire and Skullface. It still happened, of course; but less frequently. We rebuilt our lives, got engaged – and then...”

  
“And then the fire happened.” Anger swells again and Akio senses it before it hits, granting her the silence she needs.

  
“If it weren’t for Sam, I’d be dead. In a Los Maldito gutter with a thousand names on my hands.”

  
“What was the pattern?” Ellie rests her head against his shoulder, staring at the stars for so long that Akio wonders if she’s actually heard him.

  
“I killed everyone that hurt her.” She’s soft as she speaks; lips barely moving as the statement escapes. She rolls her head, cheek pressing against his chest as tears seep into his shirt. Protectively his arm winds around her shoulders, holding her close.

  
“I thought it would get rid of Cheshire, but it didn’t. I couldn’t stop; the anger just wouldn’t go away unless my hands were around someone’s throat. I ended up haunting bar after bar, seeking out the worst person I could find. Sam found me mid hunt and brought me – covered in blood – to Rob and Jamie.” 


End file.
